1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sterilization system that may be used for sterilizing air in HVAC systems and for other applications requiring high flux of UV light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air sterilization systems attempt to remove or kill harmful microorganisms that may exist in the air. Because ultraviolet radiation can kill a broad range of harmful microorganisms, one method of sterilizing air is through the use of ultraviolet (UV) lamps. Continuous wave UV light (CWUV) has been proposed for sanitation of air in Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,511 issued to Matschke discloses a sterilization system that replaces one or more sections of air ducts with ellipsoidal ducts containing ultraviolet light sources and having parabolic or ellipsoidal reflectors disposed in an inlet and an outlet for flow of air.
Pulsed flash lamps have been shown to sterilize flowing air in ducts. For example, Wick, C. H. et al, “Pulsed Light Device for Deactivation of Biological Aerosols,” Edgewood Report ERDC-TR-456, December, 1968 shows that pulsed light sources can kill 99.999% of B. thuringiensis spores at a flow rate of 200 cubic feet per minute.
Conventional sterilization chambers are often unable to provide the desired kill rate for bacteria and microorganisms. In particular, for cases of high air flow velocity, CWUV based systems need to be up to 200 feet long to produce 99.9999% kill of spores. Accordingly, there is a need for sterilization chambers that are configurable to be used in existing HVAC system and that reduce the power requirements necessary to provide a desired kill.